Another fight, another god
by Talian
Summary: This is set before the Hades fight.Two new ones up and the twists have just begun. Warning: Long Term Fic. Rating due to language alone so far.
1. Default Chapter

-Okay, put a bit of an apology here , the first is long, broodish and boring but descriptive, I like people to be in the same mind set when they read it as I was when I wrote it so this is the intro.   
  
Like it then drop me a response, hate it then e-mail me with exactly what you don't like .... I tend to want to understand what is wrong, and 'just cause' is not a reason.  
  
This is gonna be odd for me but here it is ... warnings of yaoi ... yes boy plus boy but we'll keep it more sweet then ... well ... blush Lets face it, if I go red faced writing it then it don't need to be written.  
  
-Intro  
  
How had this all come to be ..... what great thing had thrown this world upside down and left it unsafe for even the strongest fighter you ask .... well the whole thing started out with something as simple as meditation .... Ikki's meditation to be exact. It had been pointed out he had many issues that needed to be dealt with by many a person but this was the life he was happiest with, after all this had won him the prize of the Phoenix cloth which suited him just fine .... if his power was to come with flames then he held no qualms over where he drew the fuel from.  
  
In fact it had never been an issue till he'd been saved .... and left wondering why he had been saved. Shaka was a noble fighter but Ikki was his enemy so why not just finish him off instead of bring him back and submit. The calm expressions and gentle nature of the Gold Knight as well had him left reeling as well. The golds were suppose to be more powerful, a worthy challenge not some kind hearted person left to be taken advantage of. It had left him disquieted many times after as well, his own strength drawn from hated, anger, and pain while it seemed just the opposite of the gold knight and that left him with to many questions.  
  
Sienna's answers didn't help much either when it came to putting his mind at ease and so when one has a question that couldn't be answered by anyone else he'd gone himself to ask the only one with the answers. It had been a comical sight indeed when Ikki'd heard his answer. 'Power was not the answer, it didn't matter how powerful one was as power was only one part, it took more then strength and honor to be a knight, compassion was one thing missing, as were benevolence and an insight that didn't draw from just the fight one faced.'  
  
Actually it had left Ikki silenced for more then just a few moments as they sat and weighed one another ... that awkward silence filling the time and almost forcing Ikki to break it with another question as to what Shaka would suggest to fix all his short comings. He had definitely taken offence to being told he was missing things, after all he could do all those things, just ask Shun right.  
  
Shaka had smiled but it was a sad one, he knew Ikki was likely not pleased to hear anything else he'd have said so he answered it with the simplest one he knew, he'd told Ikki that he would have to find out what exactly he wanted to fix before he started because no one else was going to be living Ikki's live for him, which meant Ikki was the one that would have to first find the problems to be able to fix it ...   
  
That had been months before Ikki had started anything serious, and likely close to when all the trouble started to brew as well. Nothing huge or anything just once a week Ikki would show up, hang to the back of the and meditate with the others, trying to see just what it was that Shaka might have been talking about but never once had he stuck around till he'd felt he had worn out his welcome. Eventually he started staying from the time the sun rose till it dipped down past sight before leaving for that week, still perplexed what he could have been missing and never finding anything. This hadn't gone unnoticed either .... the want to improve one's self and find the answer .... Shaka was impressed, after all it takes a big man to admit he may be missing something.  
  
Soon it became as if it were normal, no hiding in the back as they all expected him there on that day and he was welcomed as all who wished to meditate within the temple, his ride constantly ready to leave early in the morning and a few times with more then just Ikki in it as Seiya would visit Sanctuary, or Shiryu to visit Kiki and Mu but not once had he missed it, it was a time he'd gotten to just sit down and relax, not have to play the tough guy cause meditation wasn't the easiest thing to do ..... sitting sometimes 12 hours without a break, it was another way to prove one's strength in silence.  
  
The week before I'll begin this story was the week Ikki did stop Shaka to ask what he'd meant, which caused the gold saint to smile .... still the same questions when he already had the answers. "I saw something more then just what you allowed to show of yourself, and if you are here you saw something just as perplexing ... a mystery to be solved ... a puzzle that needed to be sorted out"  
  
-End Intro-  
  
Next up soon, suppose to be moving tomorrow and laid off for the summer (which is good news) so I have time to write again -G- 


	2. The begining

Well since I didn't get the story up before I moved it looks like it'll be both parts going up at once .... not to bad since I really should be unpacking but ...-shrug- Oh well, been unpacking for two days now, time for a creative break. Oh and warning , I managed to see more of Saint Seiya's Hades OVA so I am actually getting a better idea on how things are set up .... not really since it was translated to Spanish and I don't really know Spanish as well as I do French but I'm not quitting just because of that.  
  
Warnings on the intro. and this will be where the angst does start as well -has had people complain cause it wasn't right there on the first page before-  
  
-Chapter 1-  
  
This week was no different for Ikki. Sienna and Shun had come as per normal on what he wanted to be a quiet trip , they were going to Athena's temple but they did keep his mind off the journey instead of him watching the landscape as the trip progressed. He was almost glad when he noticed they were descending to the landing platform, as nice as things were back at the mansion doing normal things he'd almost come to look forward to these visits ... it was something he didn't have to share.  
  
When he'd waved to Sienna and Shun before leaving their company for Virgo temple he was expecting a normal day, only to find the temple exceptionally quiet and packed, he'd almost wondered if everyone had his idea for the day but no one even noticed his entry, they remained in their positions and didn't look to even be interested in who'd come now. The real shock came when he'd noticed Shaka was missing from his usual seat ... he'd never seen that happen before.  
  
As with all the others he'd simply set his cloth down and took up a seat, waiting as much as meditating until someone moved, which took almost 5 hours from the time he'd sat till the first person drew themselves up from their own seat and didn't manage to get far before Ikki was right there beside him.  
  
"What's the occasion for Shaka's absence , not normal for him to miss a day" he'd say quietly , it hadn't taken any of the coarseness from his voice but he didn't wish to disturb anyone else either.  
  
"Master Shaka has been ill for two days now, Mu has been caring for him and informed us of it, I has assumed he'd informed everyone by the support that's been being shown, I apologize that you had not been brought to light of this earlier" said the other man, one that had been as regular as Shaka from what Ikki remembered.  
  
Could he get sick Ikki wondered, he was suppose to be the closest thing to god after all. He'd just smirk and thank the other one ... he knew how to find out, or at least a quick way to check as he once again grabbed up the box containing his cloth and left Virgo temple for Aries temple. Mu was after all a friend to the bronze knights meaning that if he held any answers it was most likely that he'd share.  
  
"Phoenix ... what brings you to visit?" was the amused question as Ikki streaked to the temple only to get his fair share of fright before ever entering it. Mu had been outside the temple but yet unseen by the eye ... hiding in his veils as he had himself only just left the temple.  
  
"Mu ... ah, didn't see you there. I was actually coming to ask about Shaka, heard he was sick and was wondering how bad it was" he'd say , he knew Mu hadn't been there and was half tempted to ask if Mu did that for his own entertainment, just to scare the senses out of people.  
  
"I see .... I was on my way to see him actually, last I heard he was still not feeling his best but I am sure if I finish before you leave then I could tell you more" Mu'd said with a serious look on his face, regarding Ikki with a touch of curiosity. He'd been weighing something heavily and hadn't yet decided which was the best course to take.  
  
"Well you know if you needed some help I could stick around an extra day or something" Ikki pointed out. It was better then going back to the house to wonder if things had gotten any better here.  
  
It was decided then , leave it to fate to relieve one of a heavy decision. "Maybe a friendly face would make him feel better, help him fight off what ails him" Mu said with a half smile, he hadn't gotten Shaka to talk much just to the extent that what ailed him wasn't anything serious physically but everything about the Virgo knight was unbalanced and leaving him in a sense of great loss.  
  
" Well so much for plan a .... badger you till you accepted it, you make it real hard to plan anything around" Ikki'd chuckle, he had full intentions of getting Mu to help get in to see Shaka but with someone so willing to take him there it was a nice change of pace.  
  
Mu just smiled and walked on to the stairs, climbing them with ease even if he were visible. Maybe it would do everyone good to know Shaka hadn't even left the temple. Yesterday he had gone undetected into the inner sanctuary of the Virgo temple at Shaka's request, but no such request had been made today and so it would not be seen as his fault.  
  
They'd rose from Aries temple to that of Virgo in silence. Mu contemplating what exactly had disquieted Shaka and Ikki trying to figure out why they were going up after being told that Mu was looking after Shaka, not making house calls.  
  
Mu had gone into the temple and walked through, paying little attention to those that sat and meditated around him as he walked from one side to the other and found the shadowy path as though it was lit all along with torch. Ikki'd follow showing that this path was unfamiliar to him, although that really was no surprise, as with all temples here this one held it's secrets well. Mu would come to what would feel much like a wall but when searched for it gave it's own secrets away with the small dial that could be turned to open a latch that would reveal the door to this particular room.  
  
"Mu .... it is nice that you've come but it was not needed" came the voice ... you could hear him before you'd see him, the room was decorated with rich s and only the blond hair combined with the skin gave him away. He was there in a red robe looking comfortably seated on a big cushion pile, un-moving as he sat lotus . Shaka's face was towards what seemed like balcony of sorts but the sight was unseen as his eyes were closed, it seemed his normal state even while relaxing.  
  
"Some of us come and have a reason and others just come because it's our days only to find out you went and got sick on them" Ikki'd grinned, not giving Mu the chance to say anything before he'd gone and charged into this like he did everything else.  
  
"It seems you have a visitor that came a long way for the day to be disappointed that you'd grown ill so I brought him up, better then him fulfilling his intentions to stick around for a few days" Mu pointed out, even if the Phoenix Knight was not one to show much emotion he was a protector by nature and Mu had not put it past Ikki to stay if he thought he'd be of any help that way.  
  
"I had gotten lost as to the day, but I fear that my company would belittle the time you spent getting here" Shaka had finally said, he had holed up in here two days past and besides Mu had held no audience with anyone else.  
  
"Nah .... I'm sure it's better then going home, besides I'm not gonna be the one to tell Sienna that your sick, then she'd insist on staying the night, which would make three guests instead of one" Ikki had the upper hand and knew it , besides it wasn't like he couldn't just say he was staying for a bit ... he wasn't going to lie about it or anything and it would get him away from the sappy stuff he put up with at home.  
  
Mu's smile grew wider at that, he knew that Ikki could be shrewd but that was just down right under handed, and likely the only way he was going to change the sodolic knight's discouragement.  
  
"It would do her no good to worry about it , but do as you wish ... I was merely concerned for your well being" Shaka'd sighed dismissingly, it was obvious that he wasn't even up for the argument, not that a verbal fight was going to better his position. He'd sat perfectly still and was almost happy as he felt them both withdraw from the room. Opening his eyes he'd just stare out the window .... no matter how peaceful things seemed to be he couldn't find any, outside nor in.  
  
Mu had been the one to turn and leave and Ikki had removed his cloth and set it on the floor before following suit , shutting the door to the hidden oasis, if Shaka was that intent for solitude he could have it for a small time more but he'd seen enough. Mu was right, that was not the same man he'd come to know. "He looked okay but ...."  
  
"That was exactly what I was talking about .... he is no better then he was two days ago and yet no worse either. I hope you have luck finding out what it is he seems to want to keep hidden" Mu sighed , having made his way to the point where shadow gave way to light, what little of it that was left of this days sun while the torches were lit. The temple had cleared out considerably from when Ikki had first come.   
  
"Never needed luck, but maybe time and an ear within a few steps will shake him out of it. It works for Shun after all" how odd, he'd gotten so use to being the big brother figure of the other knights and now here he was playing big brother with Shaka, the one he looked at as his big brother ... well till tonight when that presence just wasn't there, that feeling that this was a body that you just held no need to question.  
  
"Truly .... if you'd like I will go let Athena know of your decision, had need to send something for Kiki over to Shiryu anyway. It seems Kiki has found a treasure he is beside himself to share" Mu said as he held up the small wrapped package, he wasn't exactly sure of the contents to it but even he feared to open it, this was Kiki after all, it could be anything from a trick wrapped up to something he had honestly been amazed by.  
  
"Even better, less questions to answer and I can send word when I am ready to leave" Ikki'd said, looking at the package in Mu's hand like it was ready to explode. He'd seen these kinds of care packages after all and even Mu couldn't pay him enough to take it down. It was surprising just how different these gold knights were, even without their cloths on they seemed so strong and yet didn't look near as deadly without them.  
  
Mu left , taking the offending object with him while Ikki sat on the stairs to Virgo temple and looked up at the stars for a small measure of time, waiting for the sound of the helicopter leaving before he'd turned to go back in. He had yet to find a place to sleep that night and hunt down some food which would again require bothering Shaka. He hadn't even made it all the way down the hall before he'd crossed a door on the side of the darkened hall that had been opened, left that way with a large box laid in the center of the room .... it seemed the Gold Knight had already arranged for the place and food. Some people should be read mind readers more then anything else around here he'd thought as he'd entered the room and shut the door.  
  
-End-  
  
Wow .... okay maybe I was more bored then I thought cause I wanna keep going and this one is huge. eyes time I may just have to write a third part tonight. 


	3. Leaving the temple

Okay so maybe a round of Age of Mythology wasn't good .... but it was so fun.  
  
squeals I got a review .... and I'll try not to be too mean to Shaka ..... okay who am I kidding, I am an angst pig so he'll suffer like a dog for the first bit .... but he'll get his revenge in the end.  
  
-Chapter 2-  
  
It had been quiet that night, and the next day it seemed just as many people had come but once again Shaka had refused to leave his tranquil hiding spot. Ikki had managed to find a place in which to prepare the food and brought Shaka some hot tea along with a plate of fruit ... for some reason he was pretty sure if Shaka hadn't come out for breakfast today that it was not the first one. He then put some out for those that had come to meditate before joining them for a bit but again the day passed much as it had the day before, quiet and subdued but drawing a large crowd up from early morning and the numbers seemed not to dwindle till well after supper time.  
  
Ikki'd rise up and once again go to visit his distracted host only this time he'd find the blond knight sitting on the edge of the balcony looking out over the land. The air had his hair and cascaded it along with the breeze that blew but again it was the only thing that moved, this time though even the eyes were open and yet never bothered to look at the intrusion.  
  
"You know if your sick maybe being outside isn't a good idea" Ikki pointed out, it was the first thing that came to mind since this time he hadn't even been acknowledged.  
  
"This is not a sickness of that type .... there are many other ways to be ill which do not include an invasion of the body by germs" Shaka pointed out, and he did know for this was a sickness of the soul, no germ could have dealt him a blow this low and effected him this badly.  
  
"Thought you were looking to well for it to be physical ... but bundling it all up will likely only make it worse anyway, after all it's just another way of hiding from it" Ikki tried goading him in to giving up what exactly was going on, after all this guy seemed to be on top of a lot of things and to be this bad off was not a good sign.  
  
"No ... just accepting what can not be changed, there is a difference" was Shaka's cool reply as he turned and fixed those frosty blue eyes on the Phoenix Knight. He had learned a long time ago that not everything broken could be fixed, as so not everything that died was dead, nor all the evils be a bad thing.  
  
"Okay .... enough with the cryptic here .... it's giving me a headache. Spit out what's wrong cause nothing is gonna get any better if you bottle yourself up in here" ever as blunt as usual, Ikki had to try something, the amount of silence was driving him crazy and there were a lot of worried people coming to show their support on a daily basis.  
  
Shaka would smile .... just a little, nothing done could be undone but this was a lesson it seemed Ikki had not yet learned, or just refused to accept. "There is nothing that can change the past, nor will anything I have to say about it change what is yet to come making any words on the subject futile" not to mention belittling and embarrassing as well, this was something he was not willing to subject himself to.  
  
Ikki sighed and watched as Shaka returned to his pillowed seat, sat down and again closed his eyes and the subject along with it. It was obvious that the Gold Knight was not about to break easy with a friendly hand trying to help him with it. "Fine ... I'll be in my room if you want to talk"  
  
That was the whole thing, Shaka did not wish to talk about it, at all. It was why he had stayed here and not gone out, this was something he was not going to share ... just retrieve as soon as he could figure out exactly what had happened and who had been responsible for it in the first place.  
  
The welcome silence ended during the night as the sound of something being shattered echoed throughout Virgo temple. Some dust flying from the wall that had been hit while the sound of pottery falling to the floor followed the crash. The entire temple remained in darkness but it had been enough to wake Ikki from his own sleep and grab his cloth ... this didn't sound like someone knocking over a table by accident.  
  
What he'd found after opening the latch to Shaka's room he never did fully understand. It was in total darkness as was the rest of the temple but he tripped over something he'd known full well wasn't there when he'd been in the room earlier. "Shaka ... what the hell is going on in here?"  
  
Something smiled in the darkness as he threw his weapon out to lash out against the intruder, now understanding why the other one had been so quiet, which just made his victory over Shaka that much more exciting. "Really my angel ... you needed back up, can't handle me on your own?"  
  
"Ikki, get out of here ..." came another voice from the other side of the room.  
  
It was Shaka's voice all right but so lost in all the shadows he couldn't really tell the current condition of the other knight, not that it mattered as what felt like a thick cord nailed him right across the chest and knocked him back against the wall that held the door before he slid down and tried to locate where exactly it had come from.  
  
"I'll just have to come back when your not playing the good little host, can't be rude to company after all" were the strangers last words as he bounced to the balcony and right over the edge, heedless of the drop that would surely come from it.  
  
Ikki'd streak across and look out over the ground that lay far beneath the balcony to find nothing, not even so much as a glint to give away where the attacker had landed. "I hope that wasn't something personal I just interrupted, cause I'd hate to even go there right now"  
  
There was no response to him, just the sound of a rosary being let relax in Shaka's hand as he turned it over with his thumb.  
  
"That's what's buggin you .... isn't it, the one that just left, what is it ... relationship problems?" Ikki'd smirk, leave it to being something simple, hell he dealt with this enough at home. It was one thing or another ... usually all built on a misunderstanding, the odd part was that he was a touch disappointed.  
  
The beads would rattle to life as Ikki felt the force before it ever hit him, driving him once again back against a wall but this time leaving a good imprint of the Phoenix cloth in the stones he'd hit. "Get out !"  
  
Ikki slid down the wall and just blinked, what the hell had he done to deserve that. "Hey whoa ... it's not like your talking so I have to take my hunches when I can, what has you so ruffled anyway, you won't tell anyone and I just got blasted into a wall cause I came thinking you needed help"  
  
"Just ..... leave" came the quiet voice from the shadows, he'd almost felt sorry for lashing out against Ikki when he'd been so ineffective against the other intruder. The intruder though had something .... and it literally left Shaka defenceless against him, in fact he had unnerved Shaka a few times before even tonight and in the end it had been what had kept the Virgo knight from leaving this place, but with the invasion of even this place he knew he'd have to hide further in the temple, a place where no one dare tread and feel safe.  
  
"I'm not leaving, have the rest of the night cause I doubt I'm sleeping after that double slam into the wall, so you can stay there in the dark till the sun comes up or come out now and tell me what is going on" he'd said , staying against the wall this time, with no place to fly against at least he was safer then the last time.  
  
A long pale arm reached out but not enough to give away the whole of the body as it grabbed up something that had been tossed on the floor then receded with the cloth in hand before Shaka emerged from his darkened corner, rosary still in hand as his eyes bore down on Ikki. "Now you can see for yourself that I fared well .... you can leave"  
  
"I could care less if he beat the tar out of you, the question is what the hell is going on here, first I'm gonna guess by what the other guy said you were trying to keep a fight quiet, that this isn't the first time it's likely happened and that he or she is coming back .... this isn't something you've got control on so stop pretending everything is fine and tell me what is going on" he'd almost be yelling by now, that calm demeanor that Shaka put out was doing nothing to ebb Ikki's frustration in this whole thing, in fact it was edging him on even more.  
  
"If I had need to share then I am sure I would have by now" came Shaka's voice, holding it's calm tone as he pointed towards the exit but not having realized his own mistake in doing so ...   
  
It was when the arm hit the light brought in from the moon that Ikki realized that was not a band or bracelet around the wrists ... those were actual marks, welts that had been dug into the wrists by what ever their friend had hit him with across the chest. "I'm getting Mu, your injured and I have a hard time seeing him leaving before it's been repaired" he'd turn in the direction Shaka was pointing, Mu had more then proven he could heal wounds which was exactly what was needed now ... answers could come later.  
  
"Ikki don't .... they'll be gone by morning, there is no need to involve Mu in this" he'd finally say, the arm dropping as he closed his eyes. The room was an absolute disaster from what it had once been but it seemed not to effect him as he crossed the room without so much as a stumble. Making his way back to where he had started before the mess had been caused and sinking down into the cushioned resting area he use to enjoy so much. "There is something about this, something that I know but it just dances along beyond my understanding and .... just, let me figure it out"  
  
Ikki would stop and listen, the voice was absolutely hollow and lost which left him feeling more helpless then he liked, for some reason this seemed a bit bigger then Shaka could handle and if it were to big for a Gold Knight then he wasn't gonna have much of a chance against it. "Fine then ... but lets get out of here so you have your 'time' to figure it out"  
  
"I am not leaving, I will not let this drive me from my temple" Shaka said firmly, that was not even an option in his mind. He had stayed and defended his temple before and this little incident was not about to deter him from remaining, there was no place safer in his mind then right where he was.  
  
"So you like getting beaten up in your place huh ... it's obvious that this isn't the first time and the other knights are far enough away that unless you blew the place up they'd never even know, you know it is going to look so odd trying to convince 4 bronze knights that they all have to come stay here just because you refuse to leave. That would require so much less of an explanation as coming for a visit instead of leaving Athena unprotected to bring them all here ...." sighed Ikki, he hated having to point out the obvious but the point was clear, this was something that was well over even the Gold Knights head and Ikki wasn't about to let him drown in it alone.  
  
It was clear he'd made a statement of impact as Shaka's eyes flew open and looked right at Ikki, the last thing he'd wanted was for it to be known, in fact he'd kept it from notice for almost a week now. His eyes dropped to look over the scattered room and broken vase that had finally been his undoing in it all before stiffly standing where he had just comfortably sank into. "And just where do you propose to hide a Gold Knight, where would you have me run away from my duties to then for if not here then where else would I be safe?"  
  
"Well we can go back to Sienna's place, or is being a Knight of Athena hard to do when living in the same house ... not as drafty as the temple but I'm sure you can adjust easily enough, plus it has sensors all over the place so you'll be a bit more protected while your protecting her" Ikki shrugged, the answer was obvious and it wasn't like he'd be questioned ... well if anyone could disturb him long enough from his meditating to get an answer in the first place, the whole idea seemed best.  
  
"Then make your preparations" was all Shaka had said, his eyes still held by the broken bits of pottery that dotted the floor. He had no need of light to see where they were ... as with all things they were as clear to him as if the sun shone in every corner of his oasis. While the Phoenix knight had readied his things Shaka had taken to repairing the mess of his room, the last thing he wished was to raise up a false alarm with the looks of this room.  
  
"I'm ready .... how about you?" Ikki had re-entered. The box containing his cloth on his back and a bag in hand as he'd brought some light in for Shaka only to see the room as it would normally look and Shaka neck deep in the water which had been held in what looked to be a pond with all the flowers that lay across the top of it.  
  
Shaka would sigh and move to the other side of the wading waters, he had wanted to be cleaned up a bit before travelling but if that were to be all the relaxation he'd get then he would have to made due. He'd slip behind one of the well placed curtains that had been arranged in the room to emerge a few minutes later dressed, even if his hair remained somewhat wet. "Then we are both prepared to travel" was all he'd say as he held out a hand to Ikki.  
  
Ikki eyed it for a few minutes before putting his hand in the others extended hand. "Not to sound rude or anything but .... where is your stuff ?"  
  
The Gold Knight would smile before he'd translocated them to the mansion. He may be the Virgo Knight but he himself kept very little, it was the way of life that he had been raised up on. You had what you needed and to want after something would most likely be your undoing, so he'd managed to content himself with what he had and even that which was in the temple were mostly gifts, things he could not draw himself to take from the temple, all he had come with was what he wore and his rosary. The Gold Cloth had been left in it's resting place as it too belonged in the temple.  
  
"Oh man .... this is gonna be fun come laundry day" Ikki smirked as he turned to see the front door. He'd have to learn that as it was so much easier then using a helicopter to get places. "Come on, there's always a few rooms open around here, I'm sure we can find you a nice quiet one, one that isn't on the other side of Hyoga and the morning music that shakes the windows"  
  
That was when the door opened and Sienna stood there before them both. She had felt them coming and had come down to see for herself but it was no easier to believe even with her own eyes. "Shaka ... you'll catch a cold standing outside like that, come on in, I have to admit it is rather early and I wasn't expecting company but at least it is of the pleasant kind"  
  
Eyes still closed even with the door opening Shaka turned his face towards the ground, it had not been his intentions to wake anyone up but he should have known if anyone would have noticed it would have been Athena herself. "I apologize, the intention was not to disturb you from your rest, merely to ...."  
  
"Well we could have waited till morning but one more night on that lumpy pillowed thing you call a bed would have broken my back, it's still throbbing at the idea" Ikki cut in, rubbing what little wasn't already covered by a stone box which really hadn't been helping where he'd hit the wall a few times already.  
  
Sienna just smiled although it was not one that even showed warmth, it was more of catching a small glimpse of a problem. She'd walk out and take Shaka's hand, bringing him into the house as it seemed the knight was reluctant to move from his spot, leading him into the front room while Ikki went to relieve his back of what was growing to be a serious pain. "Sit please, it being so late you must be tired"  
  
Tired Shaka thought, he was tired but not of just the physical kind. This was a thing that could drag down even the pleasure in ones heart, it was a tired that even sleep couldn't repair as that was where the problems started was with sleep.  
  
"Yes, your exhaustion shows ... you should go rest" she'd say as she leaned over and kissed the Virgo Knight's forhead, rendering him to a state that little could draw him out of, a sleep that he needed in the worst way. She'd then sit down beside him and order a second bed placed in Ikki's room, even if she did not know the reasoning for their return it did not seem a small issue if Ikki had retreated them back to the Mansion.  
  
-End-  
  
And that don't mean end of the story .... just this chapter.  
  
Wow ..... that was long and I'm like an hour or so over due for bed .... but I do aim to please and well .... I was asked nice to hurry up and finish this part. Hope you like Elhan Von Halsen is still all blushy and starry eyed about getting a review. 


	4. A new place and still more trouble

Okay so this one is longer and took longer too, who knew this moving and unpacking could be so time consuming .... but it's half unpacked and my brain is still packed with this story. Sorry about the funny begining but I could just so see it happening, a shock and a new place ....  
  
-Chapter 3-  
  
What the next day brought was almost comical as the Gold Knight shot almost straight up out of bed, having finally gotten enough rest to realize something was really wrong. It was not his bed he lay on, and those were not the sounds he had even though of being around his temple, no demon had ever sounded that bad that he had ever faced off against.  
  
Ikki just groaned and slammed his fist against the wall ... he had half a mind to go over and rip that stereo out from the wall and see how quick Hyoga could run to avoid a new type of music called pain. "Oh man .... does he ever shut that thing off or just leave the room with it on"  
  
Ikki's voice had not really even registered as Shaka opened his eyes towards where the noise was coming from and let off a focused blast, demon or not anything that bad had to be put out of it's misery.  
  
The blast it's self caused Ikki to hit the floor though, it was way to early in the morning to be defensive, especially when one hadn't even really woke up.  
  
"Cripes .... what, were under attack here or something" came another voice from the now dust ridden hole as small pieces of plastic littered the floor with clatters. The head slowly came in to view to look through the hole and see just who blew his alarm to bits.  
  
Shaka blinked back as he recognized the Cygnus Knight's face looking back at him from the other side causing him to look around his surroundings so as to get his bearings and try to figure out exactly where he was.  
  
"Imagine that .... not a morning person" Ikki grumbled as he dislodged himself from the blanket that had come off the bed with him before getting up and sticking his face up to the hole with a grin. "Told you one day that alarm would be the end of you .... to bad you don't sleep with your head closer to it"  
  
The commotion had drawn up the other bronze knights, which brought both doors to open and reveal both of the now dust covered rooms while Hyoga and Ikki had a fight through the wall.  
  
Shaka avoided the whole thing by getting up from the place where he'd slept and leaving the room, he felt bad enough about having done it but after the last week all he had heard was a disturbance and came up with full intentions of ridding himself of the thing that usually plagued his sleep ... he hadn't thought about such things as an alarm clock.  
  
It took a while for the commotion upstairs to settle down. As usual it was Shun that had brought peace tween Hyoga and Ikki, it seemed no matter how much talking he did to the other about it there were always some kind of issues that flared this up, what exactly it was he wasn't so sure but it was a definite mix of over protectiveness from both of them, aimed at the other one.  
  
Shaka had remained in the sitting room with a tea that he had made while waiting for the conflict to end. He wanted to apologize but with all the noise those two were making he knew it would never be heard so he had found a place near the bottom of the stairs so he could catch them on the way down. Once he heard the footsteps coming down the stairs he had risen and waited at the bottom of them. "Hyoga ... I need to apologize for the destruction of your device, I am not accustomed to such things back home so when it made so much noise I automatically assumed an attack"  
  
Hyoga almost broke out laughing, that was the fastest he had ever gotten out of bed and usually only had it up loud to bother Ikki, in fact he was so annoyed with it he had taken to sleeping with ear plugs so it didn't bother him. "Hey don't worry about it, it might have been a little bit loud anyway, it just saves fixing the volume control on it"  
  
Shaka would watch as the others carried on for breakfast, which had likely gone cold as they'd been trying to keeo Ikki and Hyoga apart. More then a few were still snickering as if that was a common placed event. "So then it does not bother you that you no longer have something to scare you awake ?"  
  
"Nah .... but you know I don't think I have ever seen Shun run out of my room so fast in all my life" he laughed, with the blast having come from Ikki's room the first thing that had crossed both their minds had not been that it was an accident. Moreso that Ikki was gonna come right through the wall which would have been a little awkward at that moment.  
  
"I am truely sorry, I did not mean to be so disruptive" said Shaka as that thought finally sank in, that was what the Phoenix Knight had meant by he could do with a rest from what was going on at the house. The thoughts of what he could have interupted caused him to blush and turn away swiftly. "Please carry my apology to Shun as well .... "  
  
"Hey don't go getting all worried about it, no one got hurt out of it in the end and well ... now I have a great reason to bunk up with Shun till they fix my wall" he'd grin as he watched the other one walk back to his cup. They had both decided to let everyone else know a long time ago and since then the problems with Ikki had really started but he wasn't going to regret telling them so why would he worry about telling Shaka as well.  
  
He'd pick up his tea and walk out of the house, after that he really needed a place to be alone. He had not intended to be let in on something as personal as that, not after what could have been a hit to either one of them instead of some device which must have been close by as Ikki had said it should have been Hyoga that was hit. He'd find a nice rock to sit on and just sat there watching the breeze blow the grass about, it may not be as relaxing as his temple but it was something to take his mind off his own problems after all.  
  
"You should have breakfast you know, well before everyone else eats it ... they still eat like they have hollow legs you know" Ikki had noticed his lack of attendance when Hyoga came in and put a plate together for him. Sorry or not that was no real reason for not eating and even if it wasn't stuff that Shaka was most likely use to it was something that would keep him going till lunch.  
  
"Thank you .... I was going to just have the tea though" Shaka replied, tilting his head so as to see Ikki comming up from behind him but not turning to look, he was embarrased enough and facing Ikki knowing something like that just seemed a touch wrong.  
  
"Well you can't just stay going on tea, and until we can get this stuff figured out you may as well keep your strenght up. Just .... well try not to make my room as drafty as yours, as fun as it was seeing Hyoga get a taste of his own medicine back I'd rather not have a peep show of what's going on in that room" he'd grin, grabbing a seat beside Shaka and offering him the plate of waffles.  
  
"There is no amount of food you have here that will achieve the boast your claiming these will do, it's taken something from me which is making drawing much strenght almost impossible and yet it draws it from me when I do .... your question answered before you even bother to ask it again. It's taken my peace, my center, an old child's tale come true as it snuck in during the night and stole it away .... waking me to taunt me with it's loss and show it's power that is now held over me ... that is the answer your seeking isn't it, well now you have yours and mine still perplexes me for I can't remember but a snatchet of it" Shaka sighed, maybe now that Ikki knew he would just leave him along to figure out what could be done about it, or moreso how to catch him and get back what was missing.  
  
"Yeah well .... just eat and stop worrying Sienna okay, she was kind of looking for you at the table" Ikki'd say as he slid down from where he'd sat. He hadn't intended it to come off as fishing for a lead ... after all Shaka likely had his reasons for not sharing after all and now that he had it he didn't really understand it.  
  
"Athena ..... " Shaka'd sigh, holding the plate losely as he stopped to wonder if maybe she would know. No that was the wrong word to use .... if she could piece the puzzle together as he was still missing a few pieces of it, that distant look grew in his already lost eyes as he weighed it in his mind. On one side of it he may find the answer but at what cost would it come. He'd almost dumped over the waffles as Ikki grabbed the other side of it and corrected it in his grasp which drew his thoughts back to the hear and now. "Was she upset by my lack of attendance ... I did not think it would go so noticed"  
  
"She looked kind of disappointed, but I doubt she was mad or anything, course then off she was again back to doing what ever it is that the penguin keeps dragging her off for" Ikki laughed, the brunt of all their jokes seemed to be that poor guy, it wasn't that he was bad or anything but the way he went on just made him such an easy and welcome target to go after every time.  
  
"I will have to correct that over sight at the next possible chance I supose" Shaka'd say taking just the waffles from the plate before sliding down off the rock as well. "You will come find me to warn me of the next 'mass consumption' I supose, till then these will do but please don't leave the plate ... with my current state it may end up in a lesse condition then it is currently."  
  
"Yeah ...er ... sure, I'll come find you for lunch" said Ikki with a grin and take both the plate and the now drained cup back, at least he'd gotten Shakka to take the waffles which was better then he'd managed at the Virgo temple.  
  
Shaka would watch as Ikki left and then start walking further over the grounds, crumbling the moist bread product and leaving it for the squirrels and birds. His appitite had not returned to anything that would be viewed as normal but why waste it when many other things could at least find a meal out of it.  
  
"How sweet .... you'd even feed animals that couldn't feed you, are you really that good or just trying to make me ill?" came the voice, seemingly out of no where as the eyes watched Shaka of Virgo acting like he was something special by feeding the critters. Even the old women were able to do that so why did it make him so special.  
  
The waffles dropped to the grass as immediately Shaka came up in a defensive stance. The voice sounded so like the one that haunted him at night but .... this was day, in fact first thing in the morning which made it just so wrong. "And what does it matter what I tend to do with something that I myself do not want to eat?"  
  
"Waste not, want not .... I see how this could make sence .... not" came Shaka's voice back at him as the one mimicing him watched with a grin on her face at his confusion, why she'd never joined in on all the fun was beyond her, this was even better then watching him gloat over Shaka with Shaka's own powers turned against him.  
  
"I would suggest you leave, you've made a rather clumsy mistake by coming here, especially in the daylight" Shaka smirked, it was time to put a face to this shadow that had bothered him so many times.  
  
"No, the mistake was letting me know where you'd run to Virgo ... cause now it's no longer a secret. I told them where to find you and sooner or later they will come, not that it's your fault you poor thing ... but we both know he'll come get you again" this time the voice was distinctly feminine, and not one he'd recognised as belonging here either.  
  
So this one was different, he may have known it if he had been able to get over the shock enough to have even bothered to check but with the voice it had been the last thing he'd been worried about. "Do you honestly think I ran .... the one that didn't think was you, coming to Athena's home like this" it wasn't much of a threat but in reality it was all Shaka had on his side since he had no clue as to where this one was.  
  
"We'll see ..." was the only reply he'd gotten before the first move was made, an energy claw attack aimed for his side as Shaka turned and readied for it to hit, only to see it disappate a few feet from him.   
  
"I am sorry if this was a personal fight but it just doesn't seem all that fair" came the new voice as the figure with long purplish hair walked into sight, originally he had come just to seek out his friend and instead it seemed he'd walked into a grudge match without even knowing it. "Not to mention I have a few problems with sneak attacks"  
  
There'd be some muttering from the trees just before a few fell as the form disappeared back into the thick of the area .... she had no intentions to stick around and take two out so close to more interuptions, but now she knew another handy attack that could be used later.  
  
"Some days Mu you are more a joy to see then you could realise" came Shaka's relieved voice, knowing exactly what had stopped the attack now as the Crystal Wall fluxuated in front of him, but the sight was still a welcomed one when under an attack.  
  
"I come to see why you've left and here you are outside playing with the wrong crowd, and I thought you could find no more trouble here with Athena" Mu chided jokingly, in fact had Shaka not raised his own cosmos Mu would certainly not have held such an easy time in finding him. "You also left your cloth behind .... and I see now it is good I brought it as well"  
  
"Mu .... somethings belong at the temple, and now I see as I did before leaving that even here does not seem any safer" he sighed and found himself a place to sit ... his intentions of feeding the animals lost as the food was already on the ground .... they'd most likely help themselves now.  
  
"No the idea has good points, it just means no more isolating yourself away, how does comming where it is well occupied help when you hide away, they can't find you let alone deteur any extra company" he'd point out, Mu had never really been one for a lot of company either but there were flaws and merits to every plan one tried.  
  
Shaka just sighed, being chided was bad enough but how was one to stay around someone else constantly after being use to having their own free space for so long. The ability to move as one wanted to and not have to worry about other silly things such as an attack.  
  
It was about this time Ikki had managed to work himself into a panick having lost Shaka somewhere in the back area. Last he'd seen it was out by a rock but now there was no sign of him having even been there, course once he'd seen Sienna walking out from the manor in what seemed a certain direction he'd gone to see what exactly she was after, only for her to stop at the small walking path and point something out to him with a smile.  
  
It seemed the Virgo knight had curled up on the rock he'd sat on and gone to sleep while the other one looked on, watching over him while he'd slept until he noticed that they'd had company and walked the path back to where Sienna and Ikki now stood before making a sound. "I think it wise he has his cloth here rather then at the temple .... he is not safe at either place so it seems"  
  
"Same one ?" asked Ikki, he hadn't really had time to explain it all to Sienna but with Mu having said that he was sure gonna be pressed for it now but it was the lesser of the two worries, that he knew Mu had little to no idea about what had been going on as well but now he seemed well informed of atleast some of the situation.  
  
"What is going on, I have one Gold Knight that seems exhausted, another one bringing his cloth and talking about how things are not safe and a Bronze Knight avoiding my questions ...." she stated, feeling more left out of it then anyone else and being who she was and all feeling like she should have been the first one to have been informed about it.  
  
"No , I believe there are at least two now but two what I am not exactly sure of ... but this had claws and I regret to say likes chopping trees with them" Mu tried to explain as much as he knew. Shaka had never really told him much about it really but it was very likely they had found something to bring the man that was closest to god down to his knees ... they just had to find out what.  
  
"Look ... I'm sorry Sienna but the only one that really knows what is going on won't open his mouth and tell anyone. In the temple who ever it was roughed him up pretty good and I was in the next room, he hadn't even so much as tried to get help" Ikki added in, he didn't bother to add in all the nick names the guy had used on Shaka but still it just creeped him out to have someone act like he had something and no one could oppose it and to actually see the guy that kicked his butt actually seem so beaten down by it all.  
  
Sienna shook her head, she had felt something deeply disturbing him but she had no idea what, ,it wasn't the same either .... he felt almost different, ,like it was him but not. She had hoped it was just him being tired but it hadn't really even changed, still there was something missing. "Maybe a few days away will help him regain what ever it is that he had lost, or give us some time to find out more" she sighed finally, turning to go back and ending up with an escort as Mu had moved to walk with her.  
  
"Yeah .... maybe" was all Ikki had added into the thought as he moved to sit guard over Shaka, it was a nice warm day and leaning up against a rock wouldn't hurt, just settle back and enjoy the sun while it seemed Shaka took a nap ... something he'd never really seen done at the temple.  
  
-End-  
  
Okay so I should warn that there is likely to be loads of pairings in this cause it's angst and you don't get angst out of nothing so .... yeah okay L 


	5. Making deals

wonders why it didn't load Well it is done, small with all my distractions and had I not gotten an e-mail I wouldn't realise it wasn't even working shrug  
  
Oh well, I am half way done the next one so I'll upload it again L It's short but cute.  
  
-Chapter 4-  
  
The day progressed quietly after the incident that morning and they carried on with their day, some more rested then others as Ikki had drifted off in the sun while he had rested near where Shaka himself had rested ... only waking as the Gold Saint shifted, some old traits were hard to die out and any noise near you where he trained was an immediate threat, the good part to it was he didn't look like he was sleeping on the job either.  
  
"Afraid the alarm clock was gonna come looking for retrobution after this morning or were you more concerned about anyone else knowing about your nap ?" he asked Shaka .... trying to act like he hadn't been sleeping just a few minutes before hand.  
  
"Uh .... oh, no ... I was more enjoying the warmth and such. Guess I was enjoying it to much as it was not my intentions to fall asleep" came Shaka's quiet responce, he really hadn't meant to go to sleep while talking to Mu but it was a little late to fight that after he'd woken up.  
  
"Next time I think I'll let Mu take you into the house, cause after this morning I don't think I wanna wake you up suddenly" he smirked, not that the thought had really crossed his mind actually but it wasn't the brightest idea sleeping out where you'd make a good target either.  
  
"I did not mean to tie up your day, mayhaps I should stay in the house instead, make myself less bothersome that way when I drift off" Shaka would say, sliding off the rock and going over the path as though he could clearly see it with his eyes closed as they usually were.  
  
"Hey, no need to take offence, not like I had anything else planned, and getting away from those jokers back at the house for a few hours is never a big bother ... besides I was joking, ever hear a joke before?" he'd sigh, getting up from the grass and following behind.  
  
"I know what a joke is, just never thought you were prone to them actually" Shaka said as he stopped and shifted his head so his ear was towards Ikki, waiting for the Bronze Knight to catch up ... it was interesting to see a different side outside of the Virgo temple, leaving him to reflect how many others were different once they left meditations.  
  
"Yeah well .... just don't tell anyone else" he'd grumble a bit, his joke having backfired anyways. It seemed Shaka was gonna be harder to joke around with then Shun was.  
  
"I am sure a compromise can be reached .... your jokes are as hard come by as my napping in the sun after all" Shaka snickered, it had been more the tone Ikki had used then what he had said that actually broke the serene mood Shaka had been in.  
  
"You know ..... throw in a soak in the hot tub later and I could be bought ...." Ikki'd laugh, having finally caught on to the implications either thing being known might have had, well likely none at all considering those who'd know but it was still fun playing like it would matter.  
  
"Enjoy the bath all you like .... " Shaka was starting to wonder just how he'd managed to aquire a house slave when he'd caught sight of Ikki's puzzled look before the crease left his brow.  
  
"Um .... it's like a heated pool outside that you sit in and relax, usually a social thing shared with friends ...." Ikki would try to explain, making a small detour towards where the pool and hot tub were to show him what he had meant.  
  
"I don't think I am that socially inclinded to bath with a lot of other people, but really thank you for the offer" in fact there was no way Shaka intended to bath with a bunch of other people, male or not that was just not done .... now swim was acceptable but he was not getting into a tub unless it was alone.  
  
"Oh .... okay, I just thought you'd like to ...." Ikki started wondering just what had changed the joking mood to one of this nature, he'd only suggested Shaka relax a bit.  
  
Shaka would follow along quietly, having managed the wrong idea, but then what else would a tub pertain to other then having a bath, and that was not something he intended to share, even if it seemed a common thing for these bronze to do for reason's unknown. It was long after he'd seen the pool and this tub Ikki had been talking about that he understood exactly what he'd misunderstood.  
  
-End- 


	6. Blindsided

Okay .... a free weekend and it's all mine .... well mine and the laundry but I guess I can share. I finally got one done and I am hoping the size makes up for the wait, you know how it is when you finally get to sit down and the ideas just wanna keep pouring out ..... well it poured all right so don't drown in it.  
  
- Chapter 5 -  
  
It was a nice warm day and it did manage to get warmer after the sun had hit it's apex making the afternoon humid and hot .... two of the best conditions to train yourself in .... or it had been to Shaka ... it was a test you see, a test to see if you could surpass the uncomfortable conditions and seek your solace in your mind .... it was also a training in the fact that if you could escape the small things such as that you could use the ability in battle.  
  
To be hit full blast in battle and never even flinch let alone notice the pain till after when you had time to lick your wounds ... it was a technique he had been working on for a while now, not that he had perfected it but it gave him something to challenge even a gold knight and so he had found himself a spot under the sun and sat down in the heat of the day and smiled while the others played around the pool .... where they sought out the cooler effects he had welcomed the heat.  
  
"Ikki .... go tell him to come over, he'll pass out if he stays in that sun ...." Shun walked up behind the outstretched Phoenix Saint, he'd been watching Shaka on and off for the last hour and was practically melting just watching.  
  
"Ever think that maybe he don't wanna ...." came Ikki's relaxed voice, he hadn't bothered to move up from the lounge chair, sitting in the shade with a set of dark glasses on, course no one had said he'd been resting well either, he wasn't exactly sure if Gold's tried to kill themselves on purpose or if this one in particular was interested in seeing if he could pass out but the entire time he had been watching it didn't even seem that Shaka had broke a sweat.  
  
"Well you know if your worried ...." Hyoga said as he dumped a bucket of water down Shun's back causing the smaller knight to squeal as the cold liquid coursed down over his shoulders and soaked him rather effectively.  
  
"Hyoga .... hah ...." was all Shun managed as he arched away from the sudden drop of temperature and wetness.   
  
"Yeah there's an idea ...... make Jack Frost cool the place down" Ikki had managed not to get as wet as his brother but the glasses were definitely off and he was right back to where they were this morning .... eyeing Hyoga like he was gonna throttle him.  
  
"What .... you need cooling off too ?" Hyoga cooed, his one shoulder going back but a playful glint in his eye .... he had so wanted to get Ikki with the water but that would look like a fight so he had been happy just getting him a little but if the firey one wanted a round then he was more then up for it.  
  
"I'll show you who is about to get his heels cooled off" shot Ikki as he himself was up off the seat in an instant and gave Hyoga a shove .... right into the pool and nearly on top of Seiya.  
  
"Hey ...." was all Hyoga managed to get out before he was covered over with water, but he wasn't gonna back down, this was actually fun and all at Ikki's expense. When he came up it was with one hand open "Okay hot head .... try some Diamond Dust"  
  
Ikki had not been expecting Hyoga to openly start something so when he'd gotten Hyoga in the pool he actually relaxed enough to look and make sure he was all right only to come face to face with the attack.   
  
"Hom ...." was all they heard as the ice and snow literally flew past Ikki ..... the gold tinted dome now wrapped in a tight parameter around Ikki much to the stunned look of the others. "I would suggest that if you two can not play nicely that you don't play at all"  
  
Shaka lifted his head and dusted off what had reached him from the blast, not that he had been worried about the force of the attack as it was easy to see it wasn't a full out attack but it would likely have irritated the situation more then what was needed.  
  
"Awh come on .... I wasn't gonna hurt him or anything, just a small little breeze back home" Hyoga shrugged and grinned, just the look alone on Ikki's stunned face as he'd come up out of the water with an attack was worth the chastisement.  
  
"I'll breeze you one, one of these days bird brain ...." Ikki huffed as he turned, just hoping the other one took up the chance cause even his good will was running short with the Cygnus. He'd storm past Shaka and headed in to the house .... heat or not he had not needed the small shower nor the shield during the attack.  
  
It wasn't until Ikki had grabbed a towel and was drying himself off that he realized he had company, Shun had followed him in with an apologetic look on his face. "He was just playing .... "  
  
"One of these days I will forget that" Ikki replied gruffly as he turned away from Shun and finished drying off, he hadn't bothered to gauge the measure of the attack which means had he actually intercepted it with an attack of his own he would likely have ended up hurting someone in the process.  
  
Shun looked from his brother to the carpet, weighing his next words. "I think maybe you and Hyoga need to sit down and talk cause you two seem to be getting worse rather then better" and with that he turned and walked away, at the current rate it seemed to Shun that there would never be a 'good time' to tell his brother anything about what was going on.  
  
Ikki turned about ready to lay into Shun till he'd seen his brother walking away and drew his anger back some ..... closing his eyes and trying to swallow the heat he felt, he wasn't exactly sure about the whys of it all but he knew one thing .... Hyoga found way to many ways under his skin and it just made him a quick and easy enemy.  
  
"Your brother looks a touch bit blue ..." Shaka says having followed but not to closely, in fact he had hoped to avoid the scene which was why he had taken his time returning to the house as well.  
  
"You come to piss on my parade too?" Ikki muttered back, the last thing he had needed was someone else on his case.  
  
"Actually I just came to get a drink but if you wanted someone to talk to ...." he exclaimed quietly, he hadn't really intended to get involved in all this but with Ikki having been at his temple and a few cracks he'd made about life here at the manor maybe it was time to try and quell some of what ever was pushing Ikki away from his friends.  
  
"No I don't want anyone to talk to .... do I look like I'm the one constantly pushing till the other person blows up ?" he'd answer back with, still a little hot under the collar.  
  
"No but your blowing up cause he was trying to get your brother in a water game and you inadvertently ended up a bit wet" Shaka pointed out, trying to keep the grin from his face as it did seem a bit silly to get upset about.  
  
"So you think I am taking this to personal .... the alarm clock, the water, the attack .... and that's just been today ...." It wasn't a question, Ikki was pointing out the facts in just one day that could cause this, not to mention that all to sweet and innocent act, he was about ready to rip Hyoga's innards out and see how sweet he felt then.  
  
"Okay ..... ever ask him why, may be a slightly uninformed observation but it does seem that maybe he is trying to get your attention ... or a reaction, it may just be that your missing something" he was not going to tell Ikki what he knew, that was just plain prying into others affairs but ..... well how did he tell Ikki that maybe Hyoga was trying to get Ikki to notice how Shun and him acted towards one another.  
  
"The only thing I miss is the chance to pound him, Shun keeps getting in the way" was Ikki's even reply, usually it was Shun that broke up any argument or fight but as of late it was mainly just the ones tween him and Hyoga that had kept the Andromeda saint busy.  
  
"Why ..... why does Shun stop you two?" Shaka's eye lit up, maybe it could be drilled through that thick skull .... but it wasn't gonna be by him, it was easier just to make Ikki ask those questions.  
  
"Cause Shun stops every fight, it's never been his nature to really get into a brawl" Ikki sighed, even as a kid Shun wouldn't really fight which was exactly why Ikki had gotten so good so quick.  
  
"So he stops you from fighting all the time then ...." Shaka nodded, having taken a minute to formulate the best way to put that, then closed his eyes, as if to signify that he understood, waiting for Ikki to walk right into.  
  
"No ..... he just stops me from ripping that fools head off" Ikki countered, it wasn't like Shun stopped him all the time, not in an actual fight anyways.  
  
"I see .... I wonder why?" Shaka mused to himself but loud enough to make sure the other could hear him. Of course it was then that Shiryu interrupted with the need of a towel, while they had been in discussing the problem it seemed Hyoga had managed to fell another victim to the cold water treatment. "Anyways I do still need that drink .... and I think maybe you have a few questions that need answers to them"  
  
Ikki would watch as the Gold Saint walked off .... closed eyes and all like he knew every turn in the manor already before looking back at Shiryu and scowling, what the hell was that suppose to mean .... Shaka didn't actually expect him to go out and talk to that idiot .... did he.  
  
"I didn't interrupt anything .... did I ?" asked the black haired boy, it was unusual for Ikki to so much as look at him and to think he'd just walked into something that might have been important really didn't sit well.  
  
Ikki blinked and looked at Shiryu as if he'd just walked into the room, it hadn't been Shiryu he'd been miffed about but the interruption it's self. "No .... nothing my mind couldn't use the break from in the first place ...." riddles, questions, and not a single answer ..... frustration was just not gonna give him a break today it seemed.  
  
Shiryu took another look at Ikki and walked out the way he had come in .... towel in hand, he was not about to ask just go back and try to dry off the book that had ended up getting the cold bath along with him.  
  
-End-  
  
Okay so maybe my lack of Role Play and overactive imagination may be showing through a touch bit but I have three weeks of courses that I can doodle or write things down in so if these three weeks are as boring as I am expecting at least I should have more parts of this story up sooner then this part. 


	7. Never alone

Okay I know, it's been a while but even after doing this I want to get started on the next one so it may be a double header tonight G Needless to say this one was long and borish but it does lead into it all .... which is one reason why I won't post it alone tonight VEG  
  
-Chapter 6-  
  
Ikki had not bothered to venture back out poolside once Shaka left, in fact he hadn't bothered doing much besides returning to his room and flopping on his bed, he hated mind riddles, just spit it out was his motto cause it hurt less going in.  
  
Shaka of course had spent the rest of the day hidden out in the library, just because he couldn't meditate it didn't mean he couldn't find some way to relax just the same .... of course the lack of meditation had likely been a good thing today when it counted but it could sure leave a serious gap when one was use to devoting so much time to meditation and such only to find you lacked the ability to relax enough for something that you enjoyed so much ..... no matter how many hours, different ways or times you made the attempt.  
  
He'd managed to find a few interesting things in his search to something that truely intrigued him but all in all it had been another effort that seemed less then productive, with the loss of what he knew it seemed everything had become more difficult, not just the sence that it had changed and he needed to adjust but more like mourning his own loss while not showing it .... and he was failing badly.  
  
"Will you tell me now, patience is a virtue yes but sometimes everyone needs a helping hand to sort out their problems" came the voice from the door .... he had not heard it open and there half in the door stood the younge purple haired girl that they all had come to know as their goddess, little more then a girl herself and yet able to produce so much of what they had been trained to recognise as their lifes mission, the thing they were to protect even blindly as it had at one point been.  
  
"I don't know if it is a problem that can be sorted, just faced when it finally decides to come and see who stands afterwards" was the only answer that had come to mind as he looked with lidded eyes .... even here in the safety of the library he had tried to remain calm, coming had not been his idea and he had only accepted it to settle anothers mind but now he was questioning weither bringing the problem here where Athena was at greater risk had been wise.  
  
"I see .... fighting solves everything" she'd said, sounding somewhat disappointed as she opened up her own cosmo, seeking answers to questions she had not asked and held no way of asking. Even if the knights served her to their very core to them she was still the outsider, the new comer and this was foriegn ground to her all together.  
  
" No ..... this is an issue where nothing comes of it but fighting, it won't solve it but it will end it, a finality as nothing else has worked" he sighed, more then just a touch reluctant to share it with her, in fact he hadn't even shared it with anyone .... was it wise to leave them blind to the threat, it wasn't like this one seemed to show any interest in any of the others and there had been many others around both here and back at the Virgo temple.  
  
"Are you sure ..... you have tried every avenue and nothing has come. How sad everything in life must be a fight" she mused, sure all of Athena's life was that of wars but one did not fight needlessly, hers were battles of defence and nothing more, she did not openly seek war out and to hear that there was no other solution from one who would follow someone they had never even seen till recently so devotedly and yet not understand them at all just brought back all that had happened it interfere with her and all of her knights, not just those that had been decieved.  
  
Unknown to her though she had hit on something he himself had asked many years ago, asked the only person that could understand and yet still he did not understand the answer. If there were gods and goddesses then why was there need for pain and strife, why not just eliminate it all and save the world from pains that they did not need. Without sadness what is happiness, without war what was peace, without pain what was pleasure and so even now when it should make sence it was one of those things you never seemed to get the whole answer too for the answer was nothing, if you never knew war then peace would be nothing, no values attached to it because there had been nothing else but that. Man made his life as he so wished it, it was avoiding the unnesesary pains and strife that one had only to do in life and although he had known nothing but his serenety it was now gone and only he himself could fight to regain it. "I have done what I know to be the best paths to anulling the issue and so far they have failed, leaving me the one path left .... not all pathes are a peaceful one"  
  
"I understand ..... but even the ones that are not peaceful need not be walked alone, just remember that" she smiled sadly, more a reassuring smile then anything heartfelt as she turned and quietly closed the door, leaving the blond knight to consider both her words and the facts buried within them.  
  
He just smiled, the more he had come to know her the more he had begin to like her, she put him very much in mind of what he would expect to hear had he even been able to meditate .... and it was a comforting thought. "No .... never alone, I take to much with me to really be alone m'lady"  
  
-End-  
  
is gone to write the next one 


	8. Safety is not always in numbers

Okay so I did manage it, and lordy help me this one is a monster L this is what you get trying to cram all this into one chapter, to bad it's maybe hitting about the half way point .... I think, well in my mind this is about the half way point yeah so that will likely make it's self true. Hopefully this one is better but really the humor only lessens from here on it, it's serious time and that always somes with explainations as to what has been up .... but no sneak peeks just yet, that'll be saved off for another chapter G  
  
-Chapter 7-  
  
He had come to eat with the rest of them, in fact the supper table was busy with conversation as usual, it was almost like they enjoyed this time of the day most as a social event then a meal. Chattering over what they wanted to do, or planning out events that seemed to be weeks away, they lived life like it would never end, like there was no challenge that they were going to fall to, it was refreshing to see that no matter what had been thrown at them so far had extinguished their lust for life, it hadn't disheartened them to doing or planning what they wanted. Had this been one at Sanctuary it would have been a whole other story as those that were there would morn the empty chairs and the losses they had already experienced .... even before the wars had started and yet into the hands of these babes that had killed there was nothing but plans for a future which was not garenteed.  
  
"Perfectly blazing day should only be ended by a pool party, come on Princess .... you barely stepped foot outside all day, keep it up and someone's gonna start thinking your getting a sun alergy, or going all vampiress on us" laughed Hyoga, not that all the playing around and training hadn't taken him down a few notches but now it was cooler and the cooler it got the better he liked it.  
  
"Well it can't be play all day but there has to be some time for leisure, gotta remember what's worth all that work sometimes right ?" Shun added with a laugh, sure the added responsibility of Sanctuary was a load but even she had to take a break once in a while.  
  
"Okay .... we'll see how things look after supper, but the first one to splash me will have garbage duty for a week" she laughed, it was easy to see how well she was adjusted to these, the bronze knights over those of the gold, was it their age that made things seem so much easier or something more .... was it that even though she had been a child she had known them where as those of the gold had been kept from her until just recently, it was a puzzle she intended to resolve right shortly.  
  
"So that just leaves one left .... and well I don't know about you but with Athena being outside maybe we should all be out to watch out for her" Seiya said, lightly nudging Shaka which disturbed his silent thoughts, he'd not really taken much note of what had been on the plate just eaten some of it but it was apparent that his mind had been else where.  
  
"Then maybe it is wise that she doesn't go outside" Shaka answered back, having caught the tail end of it and reacting off just that little bit but managing to keep his eyes away from Ikki as he finished. "If you feel there may be a threat outside is that not the wisest decision?"  
  
"Uh ..... I thought that was a joke actually" blinked Shiryu as he looked over to Seiya, trying to re-afirm whether it had been or not, if there was a threat outside he sure as hell wasn't going to go along with her going out into it.  
  
"I believe Seiya was trying to say you were welcome to come join us by the pool instead of sitting alone in the yard" Ikki laughed, that was almost worth the look that had been passed around the table, the utter confusion passing from one face to another had been more then worth the wait, it seemed every time the older knight was close to the rest of the group there was always that element that amused him greatly.  
  
"Sorry, my mind had been contemplating a few other things" Shaka smiled slightly back to Seiya .... like that hadn't been noticed then dropped his eyes to the table, it wasn't like he'd really had much planned and the way these knights played maybe it would be safest if he did join. "It sounds like an offer I may take up"  
  
"Hey .... that's great, course your gonna need a set of trunks" Seiya started up, having seen only those types of robes the entire time Shaka had been there he started out trying to find someone with a spare set, after all how many times did it seem like Shaka was the type to go swimming, that in it's self meant he'd need a set.  
  
It ended up with Shaka now owning a set of knee length swim shorts, okay so they were more like surfer shorts but the band was black while the actual trunks were a mixture of gold and red tones. Although they were colors the Virgo knight was well adjusted to seeing he looked a bit hesitant about actually wearing them out where they could be of any use, they did seem to be a bit less then he was use to when it came to coverings he'd worn, even that which he wore to sleep when he knew he slept alone had been less revealing.  
  
"I'll explain it again, there are gonna be a few down there wearing a lot less then a full set of trunks, and no one has a full wet suit so don't worry, really if you wore anything more you'd sink in the pool" Hyoga tried, so his shorts were a touch shorter then the pair Shaka was wearing but he'd seen a lot less worn, by both males and females.  
  
"That settles it then, maybe a good book or watching the fireplace would be a better idea" came Shaka's demurred voice as he looked down, his entire chest was bare and that was not showing modesty, in reality it wasn't hot so it was not something to avoid a situation .... even in India he'd have as easily chosen a lighter robe in the heat then go bare chested, and now they wanted him to walk out of a room like this.  
  
"He dressed yet, I've got his towel" laughed Ikki from the other side of the door .... he'd heard some of it but it was almost to comical to interrupt.  
  
"Yeah, well if he's coming then I guess it'll be out there waiting for him" Hyoga chuckled back, leave it to the Phoenix knight to have his usual bad timing, he pushed Shaka towards the door. "Better get the towel before he soaks it or something"  
  
Shaka sighed and went to the door, opening it and sticking his head out the door only to pull his head in and shut it .... closing his eyes quick as he went a few shades of red. "I think he needs a set of shorts as well, he's going swimming in his unders" was his quiet explanation.  
  
Hyoga looked at him for a minute and blinked. " I warned ya ..... there are smaller swim suits then your shorts" he laughed and came closer, putting a hand on Shaka's shoulder as he moved to open the door, he was no where near surprised to see Ikki wearing speedos and looking kind of lost at the door. He'd held back a laugh but only barely. "Ah the wonders of spandex ..... I'll meet you two downstairs" the amusement clearly heard in his voice as he managed to almost made it to the stairs before his shoulders shook with the repressed laughter.  
  
"Um .... coming down, everyone is kinda waiting on us" Ikki tried, putting the towel over Shaka's shoulder and trying to figure out what was wrong with his swim suit .... leave it to Hyoga to be a pain like normal.  
  
"You know I highly doubt there is anything else I could embarrass myself with right now so I may as well get this over with" Shaka sighed and straightened up some, wrapping the towel across the back of his neck and taking some comfort in what little covering the towel offered compared to what he was use to.  
  
"Embarrassed .... what of, come on and fill me in cause I just know I missed something" he half grinned back as he took a step away from the door, now glad he hadn't offered least the blond haired knight passed out from the shock of the swim trunks he kept on hand.  
  
It did end up that Shaka had indeed found the longest pair of trunks in the house, sure Sienna had come out with a swim wrap but having sat on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water didn't really require much but relaxing and watching as the others had some fun, they'd even managed to get the towel off the conservative one and feeling more comfortable with the idea that while you were in the pool there was little to see so it didn't matter what you'd wore when you were swimming in water that deep. In fact it had been a fun night till it started showing that it was getting late, Tatsume coming out with a full length bathrobe for Sienna as it was 'getting damp' in his opinion, which was about the end of every party they usually had. It had been while everyone retrieved their towels that Shaka realized his mistake, on his was a rose .... looking freshly picked and as though it had been gently put on his towel, almost causing him to look around at the others before he froze on the spot, none of them had left the poolside ..... in fact with him there they had made up some water volleyball game cause everyone could play and they had even sides.  
  
"Hey, you see something out there?" asked Ikki as he got closer, after all Shaka hadn't even so much as picked up his towel while everyone else was drying off and on their way in before the mosquitoes got them to much.  
  
"No ... I ... I think I need to leave .... like first light kind of leave" he said as he straightened up and walked towards the house, leaving the towel and flower right there where they were, untouched and stared at by a now un-nerved Ikki.  
  
Ikki had picked the towel up and the flower that had dropped to the ground only to look over the grounds before following Shaka upstairs, having noticed he had wasted no time getting his robes on and taking comfort in the blanket that had been lain over the makeshift bed he'd used the night before. "So your gonna let this weirdo spook you out huh ?"  
  
"Ikki .... it's not like that ..." he'd just manage to get a bit out before once again he'd been confronted by that gruff voice, the no nonsense one he'd heard more then enough times from his current room mate.  
  
"Really, you hid in the temple, avoided telling anyone though something obviously upset you about this person, had fights which you kept quiet about and now cause you find a flower at your towel your gonna take off again and make it easier for who ever it is .... sounds a hell of a lot like that to me" he huffed and threw the rose to the trash.  
  
"You might wanna get the ones at the window as well" Shaka said a bit quietly as his eyes hadn't left them since he'd found them there a few minutes ago, before Ikki had even started in on the whole subject.  
  
"What the hell?" Ikki said a bit surprised before turning to see not one but 12 more there on the ledge of an open window which he knew he hadn't opened earlier. "This is going a bit far for an admirer .... I think we need to let the others in on it ...."  
  
"No ..... this is not something they need to be 'let in on', this is something that needs to be addressed which it seems he has no problem doing .... alone or not, at least at the temple he shows up to fight instead of skulking around like this" Shaka said, not extremely expressively, in fact all expression seemed lost with those words as Shaka resigned this to being a less then peaceful in the outcome.  
  
"Great, so he ties you up again and it's a repeat of last time except no one is there to make sure it ends before you get whooped, this is your great plan of action?" Ikki was trying to pull some sense out of the other one, he was just reacting instead of thinking which was never a smart way to fix a problem.  
  
"Like it or not your gonna have to deal with it, it's not like this thing holds much of a chance getting past the rest of the gold knights, okay so it leaves a few bruises on me .... then decides to what, leave maybe .... not like it can go far without making it down past the Leo temple, Taurus temple and Aries temple, and that's not saying it will make it that far up the temples again, you ran that route .... did it seem so easy to you ?" it had just started, not much of a plan of attack but still it was a small one.  
  
"Fine, if your gonna work up a defense then why not put everyone in on the plan, what the hell do you have against us helping" he yelled, slamming the window shut after knocking the flowers to the ground.  
  
"Nothing, your not coming cause I've led this thing to Athena and now you've got to stay to ensure she is safe, can you understand this?" Shaka said, the stunned look on his face showing he had not made it a personal jab that the bronze stayed here, she was more comfortable with them and they had more then proved they could band together and protect her, even against gold knights set to kill them.  
  
Ikki sighed , irritated to no extent he'd ever been with Hyoga ..... Shaka hadn't led this thing to Athena .... it had been his suggestion not Shakas, but that didn't mean that the others needed him, in fact they hadn't even needed him till they'd reached Virgo temple, and then again against Aphrodite. "Okay ..... then take someone till you get past Mu's temple, just humor me that much will you ?"  
  
"And I'd suppose you already had someone in mind with your request even though I could as easily have someone meet me as soon as I arrive .... correct?" for once he wanted .... no needed the silence to gather his thoughts and he was actually being disturbed, not from his peace but from his turmoil.  
  
"You know if it didn't mean giving up my cloth I might make a good Cancer ..... but then I guess maybe having an extra set of eyes would be to much to ask for so at least I can make sure you get there in one piece, not like I haven't made my way home many times over" Ikki grinned, he just wanted a piece of the nut job playing the mind games but if he could get there that didn't mean he was actually gonna come home till it was all done and over with.  
  
Shaka rose up from the cot, picked up the cloth box for Virgo and then proceeded to Ikki, a calm look on his face as he looked Ikki straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry, but that is not acceptable" was the only explanation he'd gotten as the Virgo knight lashed out and knocked him square through the wall to the now unoccupied room that now had two holes through the wall before he dimensionally shifted from the house to the grounds below .... leaving Ikki in the dust and the house once again jumping with activity as he proceeded to the old coliseum that had been build for the games before those that now occupied the mansion had come to run the temples, it was the silence he'd needed to figure it out, to find a way to put this plan of his into action and to keep those that were needed as the front line of defense for the real fight safe.  
  
-End-  
  
almost feels bad for poor Ikki but no one ever said all things were a basket of roses No this does not mean Shaka hates Ikki, just to make that one clear but we all do things for our own reasons .... look at Camus and what he did with Hyoga in the name of love ..... nasty but an effective example. 


	9. Out in the open

kicks stupid writting muse Yeah I am VERY late in updating but I have one hell of a need to write and guess what, I am RP deprived, gonna add a link to keep all my stories and stuff so I can make corections and not have to reload the pages, just something in what was there originally that I don't wanna disturb.

So back in the saddle again, lord help you guys, with a lull in the school work and no place to put this creative energy you guys are stuck with an update or two while I wait for courses again, not to mention acquiring the original series, Asguard, Hades and Ovetures DVD in the original format with the subtitles ... don't ask, I like hearing the original voices for some reason, Mu just can not be easily replaced even with the softest voice from the dubbed versions.

Chapter 9

He'd moved, not that he wanted to so much after the damage was done but he had moved ... just enough to get the drywall off his face as everyone was yelling around him. What the hell hit him he wasn't to clear on at that second but he really had to remember not to do it again. It wasn't until he heard Shun's voice with that edge of concern that he caught on something was really wrong, not granted that wasn't the first time everything felt like it hurt all over, he didn't expect it to be the last either but to hear Shun cooing to him gently worried him more then the pain. "What happened ?"

"That was a question we were gonna ask you, what are you doing making a bigger hole in my wall?" chided Hyoga, not that he was mad about it but that had been his comforter that now held half a ton of drywall dust all over it, not to mention Ikki's legs draped up on his bed.

"I hate to point this out but ... where is Shaka?" the dragon asked, after all it had been Shaka that had blasted the last hole in the wall and it seemed odd that this time he was absent from the room as was any sign of an attacker.

"Oh great ... a lovers spat" sighed Seiya jokingly, they'd seen enough of those around here to know you usually didn't end up through a wall over one but what an easy shot to get in on Ikki.

"Oh of all the blasted thick headed ... he's gonna have the floor mopped with his own cloth ..." grunted Ikki as he moved to rise, finally finding a stable place to drop the palm of his hand and get up, it seemed he was about to demonstrate to Goldilocks what the hell teamwork meant in the end ... which didn't include trying to knock the rest of your team senseless.

"Uh Ikki, maybe you should rest a minute ... you are hurt after all" continued Shun in that same tone, still confused as to exactly what happened and why but figuring his brother would let them in on it in a few minutes.

" Yeah ... well I'd love to stay and have a social but now is not the time, get hold of Sanctuary and tell em we've got trouble ... and just in case get us a ride there too, I've got a class about to go in session" was all Ikki gruffed out as he went back through the hole and grabbed his cloth, the time to explain was well beyond and although he doubted he'd been downed for to long it wouldn't take long for some freak watching the house to figure out Shaka had left either.

" Hey, your not leaving us behind if it's trouble" shouted Seiya, after all trouble usually equaled some fun, even if it was later in the evening, better then watching wrestling anyways, not that Ikki paid any mind to him but that didn't stop Seiya as he went after his own cloth.

" Shun ... we have really gotta work on your brother" was all Hyoga got out before he grinned and shot for his own cloth, if one person was involved it was usually better if the rest of the group was there to back that play, not to mention Ikki was his personal picking point, which meant he so wanted to know just what happened.

" Well at least the explanation should be interesting" Shiryu shrugged as he watched Shun follow Hyoga to his room before going to grab his own cloth, taking note that following the cosmo of Phoenix wouldn't be a problem as it was burning along with Ikki's temper.

Upon arriving at the old coliseum Shaka entered it, he had been looking for a place out of notice so as to make his way home but the closer he had been to the manor the more likely he was going to get stopped along the way which was the exact reason he had distanced himself from there unfortunately as soon as he'd stepped foot inside the huge doors he'd found exactly what he'd been going home to find, everything he'd wanted but way to soon, before he'd even had time to get his plan into motion as he was hauled from his feet half way across the arena, embedding his cloth ... box and all into one of the walls as he slumped out from the straps that held it to his back straight to the seats below.

By the time the bronze knights had shown up it was all decided as Skaka had never recovered from the initial blow, instead relying upon his shield to keep any further damage from being caused while he recouperated under it, and the time it's self measured in minutes rather then hours so off guard had he been taken.


End file.
